Published: Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, March 15, 2013 at 6:49 p.m.

Paul Sutherland grew up in the shadows of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, and the military surrounded him as a boy.

His father had a long career in the National Guard. His uncle graduated from West Point.

Despite growing up in Annapolis, Sutherland's desire was to go to West Point, but in the end, destiny pushed him toward the Navy.

The decision led to a lifelong career on the open seas for Sutherland, who retired as a rear admiral and now lives at Tryon Estates. He's received plenty of medals, served in places around the world and above all else, served with great men, he said.

Sutherland, 80, entered the Naval Academy in the summer of 1951 and headed to Pensacola, Fla. after graduation, armed with a desire to fly. But his time at the Naval Air Station ended before it really began. Sutherland, at 5 feet 5 inches tall, didn't meet the flying requirements.

In frustration, Sutherland decided it would be best for the Navy to send him to the open seas.

"(It was) the best decision I ever made," he said earlier this week.

Sutherland was stationed in Norfolk, Va. during his first stop in 1955 aboard the USS Soley. His next two stops were the USS Davis and the USS Direct.

Sutherland returned to the U.S. Naval Academy as a company officer after spending his first few years on the water. Among the midshipmen he commanded at the time was future Vice Admiral Leighton "Snuffy" Smith.

After a year at the academy, Sutherland got the first major break of his career. As a young lieutenant, he got the call to become the commanding officer of the USS Nespelen. The ship, with a crew of 800, was a floating gas tank stationed off the coast of Virginia. The ship also spent time in the Mediterranean.

Sutherland had command of the Nespelen when the Cuban Missile Crisis erupted.

"Norfolk was a ghost town," he remembered.

All of the ships had marching orders, and only the Nespelen remained. It was to serve as the tanker for the 82nd Airborne aboard the USS Antietam. The 82nd Airborne was preparing for an invasion of Cuba.

With that crisis averted, Sutherland's career continued upward. But he doesn't talk about his time in the military without often mentioning his wife. He and Pat Sutherland have been married for 57 years.

"Without her, I would have been nothing," he said.

And the next stop in his career made his wife happy. Sutherland was assigned to the USS Radford, and the destroyer was located at Pearl Harbor.

"My wife thought we'd gone to heaven," Sutherland joked.

He spent the next four years on the West Coast, including time working on a postgraduate degree in management and computer science. He returned to Norfolk to the Armed Forces Staff College as a student.

That was his last stop in America before spending a year in Vietnam at the Naval Support Activity Danang in 1969. The port city was home to a major support operation for the American Navy.

Sutherland's job was to communicate with Washington, D.C. to get whatever was needed to support troops in the I Corps. Sutherland was the assistant chief of staff for the administration at the naval port. The war was all around him.

"It seems like yesterday, but it was a long time ago," he said.

After Vietnam, Sutherland took his second command of a ship. From 1971 to 1972, Sutherland commanded the USS O'Hare. After stops at the U.S. Army War College and a stint with the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington, D.C., Sutherland finished his career as commander at the Naval Data Automation Command.

He retired from the Navy in 1986 and worked for Zenith Electronics/Zenith Data Systems.

In 1994, he officially retired and moved to the Outer Banks. While living in Southern Shores, he won a seat on town council and eventually was elected mayor for two terms. In his second term, he was the first mayor elected by the citizens of Southern Shores. Previous mayors had been appointed by the town council, he said.

Sutherland resigned as mayor in 2004 when an apartment opened up at Tryon Estates. The Sutherlands moved into the retirement community at a young age as a "gift" to his three daughters, he said.

"It's a perfectly delightful place to live," Sutherland said.

And although he's retired, Sutherland has kept busy. He's on the board of the House of Flags, served as board chairman of the Columbus Fire Department and Steps to Hope, is a board member of the Rotary Club of Tryon and served as vice chairman and treasurer for the St. Luke's Hospital Foundation.

Sutherlnd has done a lot since the Navy, but the seas were the backdrop for most of his life.

"What impressed me the most are the people I served with," he said. "They made me."

<p>Paul Sutherland grew up in the shadows of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, and the military surrounded him as a boy.</p><p>His father had a long career in the National Guard. His uncle graduated from West Point.</p><p>Despite growing up in Annapolis, Sutherland's desire was to go to West Point, but in the end, destiny pushed him toward the Navy. </p><p>The decision led to a lifelong career on the open seas for Sutherland, who retired as a rear admiral and now lives at Tryon Estates. He's received plenty of medals, served in places around the world and above all else, served with great men, he said. </p><p>Sutherland, 80, entered the Naval Academy in the summer of 1951 and headed to Pensacola, Fla. after graduation, armed with a desire to fly. But his time at the Naval Air Station ended before it really began. Sutherland, at 5 feet 5 inches tall, didn't meet the flying requirements. </p><p>In frustration, Sutherland decided it would be best for the Navy to send him to the open seas.</p><p>"(It was) the best decision I ever made," he said earlier this week.</p><p>Sutherland was stationed in Norfolk, Va. during his first stop in 1955 aboard the USS Soley. His next two stops were the USS Davis and the USS Direct. </p><p>Sutherland returned to the U.S. Naval Academy as a company officer after spending his first few years on the water. Among the midshipmen he commanded at the time was future Vice Admiral Leighton "Snuffy" Smith.</p><p>After a year at the academy, Sutherland got the first major break of his career. As a young lieutenant, he got the call to become the commanding officer of the USS Nespelen. The ship, with a crew of 800, was a floating gas tank stationed off the coast of Virginia. The ship also spent time in the Mediterranean. </p><p>Sutherland had command of the Nespelen when the Cuban Missile Crisis erupted. </p><p>"Norfolk was a ghost town," he remembered. </p><p>All of the ships had marching orders, and only the Nespelen remained. It was to serve as the tanker for the 82nd Airborne aboard the USS Antietam. The 82nd Airborne was preparing for an invasion of Cuba. </p><p>With that crisis averted, Sutherland's career continued upward. But he doesn't talk about his time in the military without often mentioning his wife. He and Pat Sutherland have been married for 57 years.</p><p>"Without her, I would have been nothing," he said.</p><p>And the next stop in his career made his wife happy. Sutherland was assigned to the USS Radford, and the destroyer was located at Pearl Harbor.</p><p>"My wife thought we'd gone to heaven," Sutherland joked.</p><p>He spent the next four years on the West Coast, including time working on a postgraduate degree in management and computer science. He returned to Norfolk to the Armed Forces Staff College as a student.</p><p>That was his last stop in America before spending a year in Vietnam at the Naval Support Activity Danang in 1969. The port city was home to a major support operation for the American Navy.</p><p>Sutherland's job was to communicate with Washington, D.C. to get whatever was needed to support troops in the I Corps. Sutherland was the assistant chief of staff for the administration at the naval port. The war was all around him.</p><p>"It seems like yesterday, but it was a long time ago," he said. </p><p>After Vietnam, Sutherland took his second command of a ship. From 1971 to 1972, Sutherland commanded the USS O'Hare. After stops at the U.S. Army War College and a stint with the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington, D.C., Sutherland finished his career as commander at the Naval Data Automation Command.</p><p>He retired from the Navy in 1986 and worked for Zenith Electronics/Zenith Data Systems. </p><p>In 1994, he officially retired and moved to the Outer Banks. While living in Southern Shores, he won a seat on town council and eventually was elected mayor for two terms. In his second term, he was the first mayor elected by the citizens of Southern Shores. Previous mayors had been appointed by the town council, he said.</p><p>Sutherland resigned as mayor in 2004 when an apartment opened up at Tryon Estates. The Sutherlands moved into the retirement community at a young age as a "gift" to his three daughters, he said.</p><p>"It's a perfectly delightful place to live," Sutherland said.</p><p>And although he's retired, Sutherland has kept busy. He's on the board of the House of Flags, served as board chairman of the Columbus Fire Department and Steps to Hope, is a board member of the Rotary Club of Tryon and served as vice chairman and treasurer for the St. Luke's Hospital Foundation.</p><p>Sutherlnd has done a lot since the Navy, but the seas were the backdrop for most of his life.</p><p>"What impressed me the most are the people I served with," he said. "They made me."</p><p>Reach Millwood at 828-694-7881 or at joey.millwood@blueridgenow.com.</p>